Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-09-10
SOME MORE IDEAS ABouT TRRrc.
 CATION AND FRUIT CULTURE.

(COmmunicated)
 The decision arrived at by the Board ot Regents of the University in repard to the matter of boring for artesisp water on the University grounds. recalls to our memory several conversations held at different times with A gentleman who was among us for many years, and who has been at ore time Professor of Botany and Geology in the south of France. He Is s student by nature aud lncilnation.a tireless searcher of \ atures hidden secrets both below and above the ground. and, had he been differently situated, would undoubtedly have chang ed considerable portion of our barren mesa lands into beautiful orchards and vineyards. years ago. As his visus were based upon his personal observn- tions, researches and snalysIs. their sub- stance may nt this time. when all sorts of theories bearing on the matter of irr.- gation and cultivation are advanced, be of some interest, the more so as they may be received as the opinion, Tn some respects at least. of an expert
 Artesian wells. he thought, would never be a success either in Arizona or New Mexico, snd the labor and expense incurrel in their construction would turn out in all probability to be 8 dead loss. There IS nothing in the strata of our messs which gives the faintest iudi- cation to encourage the boring of Rrte- sIsn wells, snd in the whole ehsin of the Santa Catalina range and Its spurs and intentions there exists no geologi- cal formation which would justify the belief, that quantity of water sufii- cient for the irrigation of sn extended tract of land nigh. be obtained from un- derground.
 But why waste capital and labor on n, at least, very uncertain enterprise? There are uumberless csfions or mour- tain sorges all along the Santa Catalina range which, being funneI-shaped with the wide end towards the mountains, 10 receive all the water pouring from their sides during the tsiny season, narrow down toward the valley into 6 natural outlet where only one solid wall needs to be built across the gorge 10 form complete reservoir with comparatively small expense, which would contain Wa ter in any desirable quantity (accordinz to the height of the walD to irrigate the extensive mesas with this great advant- age of the valley lands. that, the irrige- lion being completely under control, Do disastrous overflows need be feared,
 A careful analysis of the soil on the mesRs east of Tucson, showed that its componentssconsist nearly of the same ingredients ss the vine-clRd slopes of the Swiss lakes, slopg the river Rtone and in the southern districts of France where immense vineyards have existed since the memory of msn-in short, We have the very soil and in the very place scoes sibIe to irri9atiRg basins for an undoubt- ed success in Viniculture. The climate gives us great advantage over most Of ,he vine-growing countries; of phyloI- era We should never have to fear any ietriment, it would not live here; our grapes would be the frs. in the worlds market, together with these of Yums;th berries would have much thinner skin than the California grapes and would in ali probability produce about per cent more inice than the latter. By planting roots instead of cuttings every vine would certainly bear fruit iu the third year. The onIy difficulty to be overcoms and overcome it would have to be by all means would be the destruction of the young plants by rabbits against which 1 no fence would avail and which could 1 probably not be withstood short of com | plete extermination.
 For the planting of orchards the frui. most adapted are the peach. apricot and fig; and of the latter the white or Greek variety should be selected; it may be reasonably expected that with proper care this fig would give three crops a year hereabouts. For the successful cultivation of these fruit trees 1t would be edylssble to prepare the mesa soil by adding mild fertilizer,
 The loss of fruit and damage to the trees and vines themselves by the much feared early frosts of this altitude can easily be avoided by iudicious homage ment of the irrigation where man has the distribution of water in his power, fer in order to prevent the too early bud ding of plants in the Spring, 1t IS only necessary to limit the water supply to the smallest possible quantity until the danger Of early frosts IS past.